Heroism In Antigone

1551 Words4 Pages

The story of Antigone is one most prevalent of its time in providing a background of the destructive times of Thebes. Thebes is considered one of the most influential city-states due to the substantial historical contents it provides of ancient Greece. For example, according to Greek mythology, Thebes was the birthplace of Greek God Heracles and the God of wine and pleasure, Dionysus. Most importantly the resting grounds for mythical king Oedipus whose ' story foretells the importance of Greek prophecies and oracles.The trilogy of Oedipus from Sophocles is a series about a group of plays beginning with Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus and ending with Antigone. In the play Antigone Sophocles ' attempts to reconcile the will of gods and …show more content…

"Driven by the familial duty and the wish to fulfill divine laws requiring burial of the dead, Antigone violates Creon 's decree and buries her brother Polynices." (92) It is evident that her actions display characteristics of Arete and Heroism because she does not choose to obey the desires of Creon despite the authority he has over her. Even when her sister Ismene refused to help her in fear she 'd be punished, Antigone stood her grounds and honors the laws of heaven (Divine Law). And in spite of being caught, she is content with herself, knowing she is living to the best of her potential. The characteristics of Arete, defined as one who values their actions for the greater good and that is what Antigone distinguishes through the entire play. "I shall bury him. And if I have to die for this pure crime. I am content........ I have to please the dead far longer than I have to please the living...." (93) Overall Antigone 's courageous acts make her a hero of her time for having the bravery to do what she believes is right in the eyes of religion and divine law. Most importantly, because women in her time had little impact on what was regulated or defined as justly amongst their

Show More
Related

  • Comparing the Family in Antigone and A Rose for Emily

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone is a young woman whose moral background leads her to go against the wishes of the king to bury her brother, Polyneices.  Sophocles uses Antigone as a character who undergoes an irreversible change in judgment and as a result, ends up dying.  Antigone is hero, and she stands for honor, and divinity.   Because Antigone's parents were Oedipus and Iacaste, she was born into a family of power; something that she could not change.  At times, Sophocles leads the reader into thinking Antigone wishes she was not who she was.  Ismene, Antigone's sister, refuses to help Antigone because (as she states) "I have no strength to break laws that wer...

    Read More

  • Sophocles' Antigone - Creon is Donig the Right Thing

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the surface, Antigone is the classic tragic hero, it is she that Sophocles wants us to be drawn to. It is Creon against who he stacks the cards. A writer's value judgement, nothing more. So then, once more assuming Antigone is a male instead, are her or his actions noble or foolhardy, and irresponsible. While on the surface it appears noble to risk death for a principle, is it really ? Aren't relationships more important than principles ? Much is made of Creon sentencing his own son's fiance to death, did she not by her foolhardy, kneejerk reaction sentence herself. Where is her consideration for her husband to be ? And her sister, who has lost so much, and now clings to her so desparately, is rebuffed and dismissed as not worthy of the glorious Antigone.

    Read More

  • The Deaths of Antigone and Creon

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    Antigone is a powerful character, strong-willed, determined and at times self-righteous. She is contrasted by her sister Ismene, who is weak and powerless. Though Antigone is a powerful character, she has no real political power and is dominated by one man, Creon. Creon is both the ruler of the state as well as the patriarch of her family. Antigone was raised by Creon’s house after her own father went in to exile. Antigone is betrothed to Creon’s son, Haemon, further cementing Creon’s power over her. There is one aspect of life that Antigone does have legitimate power in and that is her family, especially her blood line. In ancient-Greek culture the women’s place was in the home, she was responsible for household things and often wasn’t even allowed to leave the house. It is because of this responsibility that Antigone needed to bury her brother Polynices even though it went against the decree of Creon. Antigone also had the gods on her side. It was an unwritten rule of ancient Greek society that the dead must be buried, otherwise bad things may happen. This rule, because it was unwritten and therefore innate, was protected by the gods, specifically Hades, the god of the underworld and family.

    Read More

  • Sophocles' Antigone

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    At first she tries to convince her sister Ismene to join her in her plans, but Ismene refuses, she is not willing to give up her life at all, when Antigone is not only risking her life but also her marriage with Haemon. When Antigone meets Creon she proves her strength and spiritual power. Some say she is not a saint but a martyr. She combats Creon with insolence towards the civil authority, following always the laws of heaven.

    Read More

  • Antigone's Actions

    630 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone and her family have suffered many things. It all began with her father, Oedipus. Oedipus has a very confused life. He ends up killing his father, the king of Thebes, while he believes his father is someone else. He ends up as the king of Thebes and married to his mother, Jocasta.

    Read More

  • Feminism In Antigone And Wicked

    1786 Words  | 4 Pages

    ... do, for all your crown and your trappings, and your guards—all that you can do is to have me killed”( Sophocles190 ).This kind of bravery ultimately proves that Antigone is courageous and willing to stand up to man and do so openly in pride. This kind of courageousness was rare for women of that time. Antigone dies bravely and in loyalty of her brother and because of this she is a model of a strong female protagonist as she clearly did not abide do gender expectations.

    Read More

  • The Characters Of Antigone And King Creon

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    Antigone is a strong willed character who is not afraid to defend her beliefs. After learning that Creon has denied Polyneices of a proper burial she uses her free will to decide that she must lay her brother to rest, as she strongly believes he should be honored like the other fallen soldiers. Unable to

    Read More

  • Antigone

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Antigone is almost hailed to a god like status, as Oedipus was before her. She is extremely strong and unbelievably willing to sacrifice everything in the name of honor and pride. She so easily makes her decisions and chooses to die willingly without a second thought. The minute Creon questions her on breaking the law, she states: “Die I must, -I knew that well (how should I not?)-even without thy edicts.” What is even more is that Antigone was a woman, a woman in a time of extreme male domination. This makes her even stronger of a person in the play and shows the growing strength of the gender that we know of today.

    Read More

  • Pride In Sophocles Antigone

    803 Words  | 2 Pages

    Having already been through public disgrace, when her own father, Oedipus found out that he was to fulfill a prophecy; he would kill his father and marry his mother, and this caused Antigone to be full of resentment toward her city.  Both of her brothers die in a battle and, Creon, the king of Thebes forbids the burial of one of her brothers, Polynices.  This must have driven Antigone to follow her moral law.  Considering the love she had for her family as well as her God, she felt that you react upon morals not upon the laws of man.  That morale law was to honor her brother and give him the respectful and proper burial that he deserved just as her other brother was given.  The love she had for her family was the only thing she had left to honor.  Ismene, Antigone’s sister was more fearful of the king’s law then the way her heart was leading her.  Her values were slightly distorted.

    Read More

  • Antigone: Worthy of Being Admirable

    300 Words  | 1 Pages

    basically serves as a building block to her being admirable. Certain examples through out the play

    Read More

  • The Play Antigone, by Sophocles

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although both sisters have lost their brothers, Antigone is the only one who will go against her king to do what she knows is right. When Antigone asks her sister if she will help her bury their brother Polyneices, Ismene responds with, “We are only women; we cannot fight with men, Antigone! The law is strong; we must give into the law…” (Ismene 774). Naturally, Ismene should be afraid for herself, as well for the safety of her sister because what Antigone is asking of her will mostly likely cause them both to be killed. However, she should be braver like Antigone, and realize that she must do what is morally right for their family, and give her brother the proper burial that he deserves. Afterward, when Antigone has already been captured, Ismene then comes forth to try and share the punishment that has been given to Antigone, but Antigone tells King Creon that she has done nothing. In addition, when Creon asks Ismene if she had anything to do with the crime, and Antigone denies it, Ismene then replies, “But now I know what you meant; and I am here to join you, to take my share of punishment” (Ismene 785). Although now Ismene feels like she needs to stand up to the King and do what is right for her

    Read More

  • Antigone, by Sophocles

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play Antigone, by Sophocles, it is greatly apparent just within the first few exchanges between Ismene and Antigone that there are various social issues surrounding the women in ancient Greece. The play raises many gender and socially related issues especially when looking at the contextual background of the playwright and the representation of the women within the play. When the characters of the first scene begin their analog, it is important to note what they are actually saying about each other and what their knowledge of their own social status is. The audience is first introduced to Antigone who we later learn is the antagonist of the play as she rebels against the protagonist, Creon. Her sister, Ismene, is the second character the audience is introduced to, hears of Antigone's plan to bury their brother's body in the first scene. Ismene’s actions and words give the reader the hint that her sister’s behavior is not usual, "so fiery" and "so desperate" are the words used to describe Antigone's frame of mind. At this very early point in the play the reader discovers that Antigone is determined to carry out her mission to bury her beloved brother. However, she is in no position that gives her the rights as a woman, sister, or even future queen to make her own decisions and rebel. Instead, her decision to bury her brother demonstrates her loyalty to her family, the gods, and to all women. Her motivation for those decisions will end up driving her far more than that of what the laws set by Creon have implemented. She shows no fear over disobeying the king and later says about the punishment of death "I will lie with the one I love and loved by him"(Sophocles, 2). Throughout the play the reader can see the viewpoint of an obedient woman, a rebellious woman, and the social norms required for both of them.

    Read More

  • Antigone

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic heroine of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies doing what is right. Antigone buries her brother Polynices, but Creon does not like her doing that one bit. Creon says to Antigone, "Why did you try to bury your brother? I had forbidden it. You heard my edict. It was proclaimed throughout Thebes. You read my edict. It was posted up on the city walls." (Pg. 44) Antigone buries her brother without worrying about what might happen to her. By doing this, she takes into consideration death and other consequences for burying her brother. Antigone follows what she thinks is right according to the gods. She is the supporter of her actions in the burial of Polynices.

    Read More

  • Antigone: The Theme of Family Loyalty

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Antigone has a bad reputation with Creon, and possibly Ismene, for being insubordinate, she stays true to her values throughout the entire play by following the law of gods, not so that she could appease them, but because she admired its value of honor and respect to loved ones that have passed away. This devotion and determination to give her brother a proper burial shows the true essence of her being: that loyalty to family is in fact hold above all else.

    Read More

  • womenant Portrayal of Women in Sophocles' Antigone

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    The sexist stereotypes presented in this tragedy address many perspectives of men at this time. Creon the arrogant and tyrant leader is, the very character that exemplifies this viewpoint. Antigone's spirit is filled with bravery, passion and fury; which allow her to symbolize the very essence of women. She is strong enough to do what her conscious tells her despite the laws of the land. Many examples in the play prove that Antigone's character is very capable of making her own decisions in the name of justice. First, Antigone opposes Creon's law and buries her slain brother; because in her mind it was immoral not to. She does this because she is compassionate and loves her brother very much. Creon, however, believes that his laws must be upheld and would do anything to prevent any type rebelling. He is even more infuriated when he learns that a woman has broken his laws. He tries to show Antigone who's in charge by sentencing her to a life of imprisonment. Secondly, Antigone shows how determined she is by accepting her consequences with pride. She does not try to hide that she is responsible for breaking Creon's laws, moreover, she takes all the credit. All the while she maintains her strength because she truly believes in her actions. These sorts of actions ultimately prove that Antigone is courageous and willing to stand up to men, which was completely against the norm at this time. Her spirit refuses to submit to the role of a helpless woman like her sister Ismene's character does.

    Read More

More about Heroism In Antigone

Open Document